The Friends of Hokule`a & Hawai`iloa hosted a 3-day planning session from April 30 to May 2, 2022. The Alaska Planning Workgroup met to discuss and formulate an action plan for Hawai`iloa to voyage to the State of Alaska during the summer of 2023.
The purpose of this 2023 voyage to Alaska, and specifically the Southeast Alaska region, is to honor the indigenous people of Alaska who generously gifted two huge Sitka spruce trees that eventually became Hawai`iloa. Secondly, we would like to propose the idea of “wintering” Hawai`iloa in Alaska following the summer months of 2023. It is our hope, to share Hawai`iloa as a focal point for a cultural exchange program between Alaska and Hawai`i’s indigenous and ethnically diverse communities that share a common affinity for voyaging education, culture and a profound sense of pride and gratitude to the indigenous heritage of both non-contiguous States of the USA.
The President/CEO of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Emily Edenshaw, and the President/CEO of Bishop Museum, Melanie Y. Ide, and the VP Public Programs of Bishop Museum, Brandon K. Bunag, Ed.D, were invited to share aspirations, plans for logistics and to fortify our relationships and common commitment.